Through its Climate Change Adaptation activity, USAID builds the capacity of the private sector, civil society, and government to respond and adapt to climate change in ways that contribute to sustained, inclusive, market-based growth. Focusing on the tourism, fisheries and agriculture sectors, the activity helps identify and scale up innovative solutions to climate-related challenges, strengthen governance to address climate-related risks, and improve access to high-quality information for decision-making to reduce vulnerability to climate change. 

Implementing Partner: Tetra Tech ARD; Total Estimated Cost: $10.5 million; Performance Period: July 2021 – July 2026.

AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Private Sector Engagement: Partner with the private sector to identify and build awareness of shared risks in key economic sectors and establish dialogue with the government about the risks and benefits of investing in such solutions. Enhance incentives and strengthen capacity of private sector partners to adapt to and mitigate climate-related risks in business models and investment chains.
  • Capacity Development: Improve capacity of local communities in geographically vulnerable areas to identify climate-related risks, devise solutions to adaptively manage these risks, strengthen partnerships, and access financing opportunities. Strengthen government capacity to assess climate vulnerability, prioritize and monitor climate change adaptation investments, and develop and implement adaptation measures.
  • Policy Development & Implementation:  Identify and address gaps in regulatory and policy frameworks for investments in climate change adaptation. Strengthen public-private engagement in adaptation-related policy development and implementation. 
  • Access to Information: Improved availability and access to high-quality information that the private sector, government, NGOs, educational organizations, and communities need to make informed decisions to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Improve development and dissemination of tools that facilitate the incorporation of information into decision-making regarding investments in climate change adaptation activities. 
  • Coordination: Strengthen coordination between government and nongovernment agencies, the private sector, and research institutions in the collection, analysis, and sharing of climate change-related information. 

RESULTS

  • Awarded grants to develop climate innovations, including to the local organization Small Island Geographic Society to develop guidelines for climate resilient infrastructure, and to Maldives research and technology company INVENA, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to scale technology to address coastal erosion.   
  • Strengthened central and local capacity to manage climate-related risks. Provided an in-kind grant to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology to support decentralized management of a protected area. Provided technical support to the Ministry of Tourism to develop a Climate Change Action Plan, and to Goidhoo Atoll to develop a sustainable tourism destination plan.
  • Improved availability and access to high-quality information for decision-making to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Provided a grant to Hologo World company to develop a climate education module for students. The activity is also working with the Maldives Meteorological Service to develop an in-kind grant that supports impact-based forecasting.